The Hudson Valley Crusaders women’s soccer club opens a six-week long season on Thursday evening at Mount Saint Mary College in Town of Newburgh, after three seasons at SUNY New Paltz.
The Crusaders have moved to the USL-W League, considered a pre-professional women’s league, with 93 clubs in 15 divisions and four conferences. The USLW — founded in May 2022 — is not sanctioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation.
Hudson Valley plays in the Eastern Conference and the Metropolitan Division, with AC Connecticut, Cedar Stars, Long Island Rough Riders, Manhattan SC, Morris Elite SC, NJ Copa FC and Paisley Athletic FC.
The Crusaders have moved from United Women’s Soccer, where they played in the East Conference. Hudson Valley posted a 5-1-2 record and dominated defensively but bowed in a playoff match to Coppermine United. It was a very unsatisfying setback for the club, and head coach Mitchell Kazanjian vows not only a postseason return but a national championship is in the offing.
With 20 returning players and the addition of a former English pro, Kazanjian is very optimistic about the season ahead.
“The first day of training,” Kazanjian said, “I talked about how the season ended. … All of the people who came back this year, they just keep saying, ‘I can’t wait for the season to get underway, to get that taste out of our mouth.’
“We all expect better,” he added. “I think now that everybody is a year older, you’re a year older, you’re more experienced, and some of our players now have a season of college under their belt. … I think everybody is very motivated to go out there and push for that national title.”
Just about every player has college experience or has committed. Nine players hail from Dutchess County high schools (six from Arlington High School), seven from Orange, two from Ulster and one from Putnam.
The addition of Monmouth goalie and three-time Colonial all-star Cassie Coster (one of six Arlington High School grads) will strengthen the back line. The team has also signed former Newcastle United and Leeds United player Charylann Pizzarello, and Cornwall grad Caigan Leonard returns after a solid first collegiate season for Saint Louis. Siena’s Megan Stowell (of Arlington) and Brown’s Joy Okonye are offensive threats, Georgetown’s Liv Villela will bolster the defense and the midfield has leaders in Manhattan’s Kaylee Stowell (of Arlington), Albany’s Casey Stowell (of Arlington) and Connecticut’s Joyce Rider (of Marlboro).
Kazanjian said his team has creative players, and they play an attacking style while maintaining a sound defense. Expect the Crusaders to spread the field (on the wider Mount Saint Mary pitch) and utilize one-on-one attacks.
kmcmillan@th-record.com
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Hudson Valley Crusaders
Subject to change
(High schools, colleges listed; asterisk marks returning Crusader player)
Goalkeepers – No. 00 Cassie Coster (Arlington; Monmouth); No. 1 Kayla Kalbaugh* (Arlington; Iona); No. 27 Perri Anderson* (Cornwall; Oswego)
Defense – No. 2 Hinami Ogushi (Japan; Iowa Central CC); No. 3 Shannon Selvaggio* (Warwick; Pace); No. 4 Caigan Leonard* (Cornwall; Saint Louis); No. 5 Abigail Danso* (Millbrook, Amherst); No. 7 Hailey Pereira* (Mahopac, Queens); No. 8 Madge Marricco (Saugerties, Fairleigh Dickinson); No. 9 Liv Villella (Haldane; Georgetown); No. 11 Mackenzie Lennon (Valley Central, Manhattan); No. 12 Madison Heitman* (Arlington; Manhattan); No. 16 Merari Rodriguez* (Newburgh; St. Thomas Aquinas); No. 18 Kassidy Michael (Manheim, Pa.; Oregon State); No. 19 Maggie Sauer (Ramsey, N.J.; Wagner); No. 26 Julia Leonard (Newburgh; Manhattan); no number Charylann Pizzarello (Gibraltar; pro Newcastle United; Leeds United)
Midfielders – No. 10 Casey Stowell* (Arlington; Albany); No. 13 Ani Safaryan (Red Hook; Columbia); No. 14 Emmanuella Frimpomaa (Hotchkiss, Dartmouth; from Techiman, Ghana); No. 17 Joy Okonye* (Canterbury; Brown; from Lagos, Nigeria); No. 20 Arianna Chin* (Sacred Heart, uncommitted); No. 21 Kaylee Stowell* (Arlington; Manhattan); no number Joyce Ryder (Marlboro; Connecticut).
Forwards – No. 8 Megan Stowell* (Arlington; Siena); No. 15 Amaya Hill* (O’Neill; Manhattan); No. 22 Jill Lindner* (John Jay; Albany); No. 23 Joclyine Koffi (Suffield Academy, Providence); No. 24 Jael Guy (O’Neill, Brown)
Crusaders schedule
May
Thur. 22 – vs. Long Island Rough Riders, LOSS 0-3; Wed. 28 – at Manhattan SC, 7 p.m.; Sat. 31 – vs. NJ Copa, 2 p.m.
June
Tues. 3 – vs. Paisley Athletic, 7 p.m.; Sat. 7 – at Morris Elite, 3:30 p.m.; Sat. 14 – at Cedar Stars, 5 p.m.; Tues. 17 – vs. AC Connecticut, 7 p.m.; Sun. 22 – vs. Morris Elite, 6 p.m.; Fri. 27 – at Paisley Athletic, 7 p.m.; Sun. 29 – at AC Connecticut, 3 p.m.
Home matches played at Mount Saint Mary College, Town of Newburgh; All matches streamed on SportsEngine Play
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Mount Saint Mary to host Hudson Valley Crusaders women’s soccer club in 2025
Reporting by Ken McMillan, Middletown Times Herald- Record / Times Herald-Record
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